Toowoomba teen cops jail term for importing drugs

Toowoomba teen cops jail term for importing drugs

Peter Hardwick
Journalist
Peter started in 1976 as apprentice typesetter/comp and has 32 years with The Chronicle in three stints (in between working/holidays in UK/Europe, Brisbane and Melbourne). Entered editorial from comp room in 1996.

A TOOWOOMBA teenager who imported narcotics through the post via the dark web has found himself fronting the highest criminal court in the state.

Wayne Cornell had decided to treat himself to a 19th birthday gift and ordered MDMA (ecstasy, a schedule 1 drug) and 100 tablets of xanax (a schedule two drug) from a site on the dark web, Toowoomba Supreme Court heard.

However, when the parcel arrived at the Australia Post delivery centre, police were called, Crown prosecutor Paul Bannister said.

In what Justice Martin Burns described as "amateurish", though the then 18-year-old had used a false name to order the drugs, he had used his correct address in Toowoomba.

Then, when he contacted Australia Post to check on the status of his parcel, he had used his correct name and given over his telephone number, the court heard.

Police had then attended Cornell's mother's home where he lived and conducted a search during which a small amount of MDMA, marijuana seeds and drug related utensils were found.

With his mother weeping in the court's public gallery, Cornell pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to possess a dangerous drug, three counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one of having drug-related "things".

"Look at your mother," Justice Burns berated the prisoner in the dock.

"Your conduct led to police attending her home and executing a search warrant... you weren't home, but your poor mother was."

Cornell's barrister David Jones said his client was "very nervous" about appearing before the Supreme Court and it was hoped he had learned a valuable lesson.

It had been "jaw dropping" how easy it had been for his client to access the drugs on the dark web, he said.

Justice Burns said it was "bewildering" that someone from a good family would become involved in drugs.

"And, even more bewildering you'd order drugs through the mail," he said.

"Now you will be known to police and beyond as a drug user. You will be a target."

Taking into account his co-operation and pleas of guilty, Justice Burns sentenced Cornell to 12 months in jail but ordered he be released on parole immediately.